Mississippi House Passes Bill Targeting Illegal Immigration

Today in Latin America

Top Story — Following a spate of state laws cracking down on undocumented immigrants, Mississippi’s House of Representatives on Thursday approved a bill that would allow police to investigate the immigration status of people they arrest. The bill passed 47-70 in the House and moves on to the Republican-controlled Senate, where it is also expected to pass and be signed into law by governor Phil Bryant. The Mississippi bill requires police to arrest someone for an offense before checking their immigration status; asking about immigration status at traffic stops is not allowed. Opponents of the bill managed to defeat a provision that would have required public schools to check the immigration status of students, arguing that this would violate federal law.